Through My Prayers
by wonderwall91
Summary: She was broken, trying to find a way to mend herself. He was a gentle soul who was willing to fix her.
1. Chapter 1

**I didn't really get a ton of reviews for my last story, but I got several PMs from people asking if I would consider writing a full-length fic. The answer is yes! :) I'm not sure when I'll update again. It won't be too long. Maybe next Wednesday. Maybe sooner. **

**Anyway, I just wanted to say that this was going to be a slow burn relationship fic. I don't think that Rachel would immediately jump into a relationship after having lost Finn. **

**Anyway, let me know what you think. Positive, negative, any feedback helps. Thanks!**

* * *

"It's literally freezing in here," Rachel grunted to herself while carrying Kurt's clothes to his room. As a whole, Santana was generally the messiest of the three in the apartment; however, with Blaine having come in for Christmas break to visit Kurt, the latter had become increasingly chaotic with his actions. Rachel had planned on letting them enjoy their time together, but once Blaine was gone she intended to have a strong talk with Mr. Hummel. "Well, what do we have here?" She questioned while glancing at the open laptop that was sitting on the bed in Kurt's room. It was obvious that the laptop belonged to Blaine and more obvious than that was that the said laptop was receiving a Skype call.

She knew that Kurt would kill her for snooping around, but she noticed, absentmindedly, that Sam Evans was the aforementioned person calling Blaine. She brushed her fingers through her hair before sitting on the bed and answering the call. "Dude, I have to talk to you. I need bro help," came the frantic voice from the other end of the line. "Wait," Sam paused, "did I call the wrong laptop?" Rachel laughed before shaking her head.

"Blaine and Kurt literally just walked out of the apartment. I was in Kurt's room-bringing his disgusting laundry to him-when I saw your call." Sam nodded sheepishly but continued grinning shyly at her. "I will tell him to Skype you as soon as he gets back. You sounded distressed."

"Yeah, kind of," he mused. "I'm just having a problem. No worries." Rachel nodded, ready to respond, but Sam beat her to the punch. "How are you doing, Rachel?" He asked. She could tell that he was asking because he genuinely wanted to know, not because he felt obligated to talk to her now that she had answered Blaine's call. A part of her wanted to just smile, tell him that she was fine, and move on. That's what she had been doing to anyone else that asked, but was different. He always put his entire heart into everything. She guessed that after being in glee with him he had developed a friendship with her that to him was real. He hadn't simply tolerated her because she could sing well. And that was something that she really appreciated.

"I don't know how to feel," she replied while looking away from the screen. If she were going to try and talk to Sam then she was going to do it without facing him. "I love Christmas time. I love singing carols and decorating trees. I love everything about it, but I don't know how to love it without Finn here…"

"My uncle died a few years ago," Sam interjected. "He wasn't my boyfriend…obviously," he added after a few minutes. Rachel smiled at his being tongue tied and waited patiently for him to continue. "Anyway, it was weird going to family get-togethers because he wouldn't be there. How do you get over something that has been so important in your life when it's suddenly taken away?"

"You're very insightful, Sam," Rachel replied, tears in her eyes.

"Lrrtok. nìhawng sevin ke ne." As soon as the words came out of his mouth he slapped his hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry. I know that it is lame…" A pause. "And that I'm a loser."

"What language was that?" She questioned in confusion. "Better yet, what did you say?" She could see a faint blush on his cheeks even on the monitor.

"It was Na'vi," he admitted with defeat. She gave him a tearful smile. "I just used to love that movie so much. I learned the language. I joined role-playing groups as Jake Sully…" He instantly slapped his hand over his mouth again. "Why do I keep talking?" He questioned to no one in particular.

Rachel cocked her head to the side. "Then what happened?"

"Huh?"

"You said you used to love the movie? What happened to it?" Sam sighed dejectedly for a moment before running his fingers through his hair. "Don't do that," Rachel snapped. "You have long hair now, Sam. If you play with it then it will simply get oily faster." He chuckled but held his hands up in defeat. She had no idea what he was laughing at but figured she didn't want to know.

"I guess my girlfriends are what happened…if you can even call them that," he added as an afterthought. He knew Rachel was going to continue questioning him so rather than simply wait for her curiosity to get the best of her, he opted on finishing his story. "They all made fun of me for it. They told me I was hot, but that I was dumb and embarrassing."

"Sam, that's absurd. I love your impressions. Especially Mufasa!" She began to clap with excitement. "Do it now!" His smile was what Rachel would deem a mega-watt smile.

"It's actually Darth Vader, but I can do Mufasa…for you." She looked down at her fingernails and tried her best to hide the small grin that was there.

He psyched himself up to do the best Lion King impersonation he had up to date, but Rachel's face told him that he needed to stop. She held up a finger, motioning him to be quiet.

"You're not getting out of it that easily," she whispered while shaking her finger at him. It was his turn to look at her in confusion. "What you said earlier-what does it mean?" She watched as Sam looked around his room before finally looking at her.

"Smile. You're too pretty not to."

That was all it took to make her fall apart. A small portion of her believed that her frantic sobs would cause Sam to get offline. But he simply sat there with understanding puppy dog eyes and a look that almost exuded calmness. "It's okay to cry sometimes, Rach."

After a good fifteen minutes of sobs and screams she had managed to calm herself down. Sam was talking animatedly about Avatar, Spider Man, and occasionally his Christmas break. It was a welcome distraction from her life in New York.

Almost two hours later she heard the front door opening and closing. She briefly wondered how Blaine would react to seeing that his laptop had been stolen from Kurt's room. After ten or fifteen minutes of silence she simply assumed that the two lovebirds were busy doing other things.

"Rachel, where the hell are you?" A semi-frantic voice shouted.

"I see Santana made it back," Sam grinned. "I can't believe I dated her. I dated a lesbian. I dated so many lesbians, Rachel," he whispered as though he had only just realized it. "Oh God," he frantically shouted, "I turn people gay!" Rachel's brow furrowed in confusion before Santana entered her room unannounced.

"What the hell, Berry? Why are you talking to Trouty Mouth?" She questioned, with what Rachel assumed to be a sinister grin. "Are you guys having fun?" Santana came closer to the screen and looked down at the camera. "Hello, Quinn, I didn't realize your hair had gotten so long," she stated calmly. She laughed at the look Sam gave her before prancing away. "We're talking later, Berry!"

"That was…creepy as hell," Sam whispered in between quiet laughter after Santana left.

"You don't have to live with her," Rachel replied with a grin. She didn't miss the look that Sam gave her after that.

"Look Rach, I've enjoyed talking to you, but I have to go."

"Aww, really?" Rachel whined. "I enjoyed hearing you talk about Avatar on Ice." He grinned with pride.

"Yeah, I have to meet Penny at the mall. Talk to you later, kay?" She nodded silently before the call was ended.

"Who is Penny?" She questioned aloud.

* * *

"I can't believe you had his laptop," Kurt shouted. "We thought someone had broken in!" Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"Someone broke in and only stole his laptop? Be realistic, Kurt. Besides, I was only talking to Sam. What's the big deal?" She noticed the look that Kurt and Blaine shared but didn't bother asking about it.

"Rachel, I love that you're reconnecting with old friends from McKinley…but why Sam? You guys weren't even that close when we went to school there. Besides, he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed." Blaine swatted Kurt's arm.

"Kurt, that was mean," he scolded. "Rachel, Sam is a fantastic guy. I think that you two could be great friends if you'd both put the time and effort into it." Kurt looked at Blaine incredulously before looking back at Rachel.

"No, Blaine, I've been her friend for years. She won't talk to me about Finn, or about how she's coping with things, but Sam randomly calls and she's spilling her big, dark secrets. It doesn't add up," he stomped his foot before yanking the laptop out of Rachel's arms and leaving the room in a huff.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I'll go calm him down, Rachel," the brunette boy calmly stated. As he made it to the door he turned around and shot her a small smile. "I think Sam would be great for you, by the way." With that he left the room leaving Rachel with her thoughts.

They drifted off to Finn.

* * *

"I can do James Earl Jones, George Bush, ummm, Sean Connery," he paused and thought for a moment while taking a bite from his chicken sandwich. He thought it was cool that this was the second time today that he was having this conversation; however, when he told Rachel about everything she seemed interested and genuinely proud of him for some reason.

"But why would you want to do that?" Penny questioned. His current date did not share the same sentiments that Rachel did. He didn't know why he was surprised. He just thought that maybe Rachel was right. Maybe his past girlfriends didn't like his personality because they wanted popularity, or in Santana's case a gay beard. They didn't actually care about him.

It seemed Penny was the same way.

"I don't know," he replied. "I just like doing it." She nodded with a smile before reaching across the table to grab his hand.

"Sam, we've been on like five dates. I need to know if this is going anywhere or not. I mean, we aren't even Facebook official." Sam swallowed thickly before reaching for his water and gulping down a drink.

"I'm just… I think… I've dated like three different girls. One was a lesbian. One was bisexual, dated said lesbian, then broke up with me after she left for college, and the most tragic one cheated on me. I want to take things slow. We can hang out. We can hold hands. We can go on dates, but I'm not ready to make this official, in real life or on Facebook."

He had been so enamored by her in the beginning. He went to the greatest of lengths to woo her. She was practically begging him for a sign that they were a couple now.

He always ended up hurt though. Always.

He wanted to find the girl that made him really feel alive. Not only alive but safe at the same time.

He just wanted someone to love him with the same kind of love that he gave.

Maybe Penny was that girl, he thought. Maybe.

* * *

"Rachel, it's time that you and I have a talk," Santana stated while sitting in the chair across from her. Rachel looked up from her book and nodded, giving Santana her undivided attention. "I just want you to know that if at any point in the future you find yourself looking at a guy, it's okay. Whether it is five months from now or five years from now. Finn would want you to move on, okay?"

Rachel immediately tensed up. "I don't see why we need to have this conversation now. He was my soul mate. I can spend the rest of my life alone if it means being with him in another life." Rachel ignored the sad eyes that Santana gave her and sighed. "Santana, I appreciate your kindness, I do, but right now…being with someone else isn't even a thought in my mind."

"Okay, I'll lay off," Santana responded.

That night she cried herself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A pretty short chapter but I hope it's alright. Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter. I really appreciated them. **

**Enjoy. :)**

* * *

"Funny running into you here," Sam chuckled with a grin. She smiled and tucked a stray piece of blond hair behind his ear. He pulled her body into his and simply held her. "You're so tiny," he whispered into her hair. She relaxed into his embrace and smiled at the faint smell of his cologne.

She pulled away with a roll of her eyes and signaled that he was to follow her. He picked up his guitar case in one hand and his suitcase in the other and then chased after her. "Do you plan on serenading anyone?" Rachel tossed over her shoulder. She realized that Sam was not responding. She turned around to see him smiling at her.

"Maybe."

Once they had made it inside the apartment she sat down on the couch. He dropped his suitcase by the door and pulled the guitar from his case. "Want to sing a duet?" He questioned while plopping down beside her on the couch. She nodded her head and watched with rapt attention as he began to strum away on his guitar. The look in his eyes as he played was the same look Finn often had when playing the drums. Sam's eyes met hers and he then began to sing softly. His voice was smooth and rich. It was almost as though his voice was caressing her.

She eventually chimed in, harmonizing with his beautiful baritone voice. Their voices complimented each other in a way that she had not expected. As soon as the last note rang out she took in the look in his eyes. She looked away timidly, unsure how to handle the look he was giving her.

He made her feel as though she were the only girl in his world. With that he sat his guitar down and grabbed her chin, tilting her head up. "Tell me if this isn't okay," he whispered. She nodded before closing her eyes, knowing that he was about to kiss her. His lips were soft, was the first thought she had. He was gentle with his movements, almost as though he didn't want frighten her, or push her too far.

Her eyes opened.

The first thing she noticed was that the room was pitch black. She wasn't on her couch. There was no Sam Evans in her apartment.

She had dreamt of kissing someone. Finn Hudson had only been gone for five months and she dreamt of kissing another boy.

Her heart ached. She missed the tall, gangly boy. He was her best friend. And he was gone. Then again, her heart ached because she had a dream involving someone else. While the dream wasn't really anything that bordered PG, she felt as though she was betraying the memory of Finn.

She reached over for the phone that was resting on her nightstand and squinted her eyes as the beaming light blinder her. It was late-almost 3 am.

She didn't know what possessed her to do it, but the next thing she knew the phone was pressed up against her ear.

"Hello," a groggy voice answered. "Rachel, what's wrong?"

"Nothing in particular," she replied. "I'm sorry I woke you. I don't know what I was thinking. I'll go-,"

"No, wait, I'm up."

"Sam, I'm so sorry. I just...went with my instincts," she offered as an apology.

"Why are you up so late? What's wrong?" He asked again, this time with more sincerity and alertness than the first time.

"I just needed to hear your voice."

* * *

"You look like crap."

"Thanks, Blaine," Sam replied while tugging on the strap of his backpack. The dark-haired boy looked at him with confusion. It wasn't like his cheeky friend to insult his looks. If anything, he was kind of certain that Blaine had once been attracted to him.

"I'm sorry," he added, this time with sincerity. "Late night?" Sam nodded, following Blaine into their first class of the day. "What happened?"

"I was on the phone all night," he replied. He didn't want to betray Rachel and tell Blaine that she had called, upset about a dream she had had. She, of course, hadn't told her what the dream was about. He simply assumed she had a nightmare about Finn. He had been more than happy to listen to her though. He enjoyed being a listener.

"How are things with you and Penny, by the way?" Sam shrugged his shoulders. "You know what, I think I'll let you get caught up on your sleep before I try talking to you again," Blaine chuckled before patting the blond on the back and then taking his seat.

Thirty minutes into class Sam pulled out his phone. He quickly snapped a picture of himself, mock asleep, typed out a quick message and hit send. Not even two minutes his phone vibrated in the palm of his hand.

**Rachel Berry:**  
Oh Sam. I'm truly sorry I kept you awake last night. If it makes you feel better I'm doing terribly at the Funny Girl rehearsal.

He looked at the attached image that she sent and smiled. She did look tired but still pretty. He sent a short reply simply saying that she looked fine to him before slipping his phone back into his backpack. He could have spent the entire block texting Rachel, but he really needed to pay attention.

The rest of the day went by without much of a problem. He took a nap in his Spanish class. He wasn't sure if Mr. Schue let him sleep because of Glee favoritism or if the man simply didn't notice that he had fallen asleep. He also didn't care.

By the time Glee rolled around he felt slightly refreshed and ready to go. He watched as Jake, Marley, and Ryder fought and couldn't help but feel relieved that he didn't have to go through that. He had always been the committed type. If Sam Evans dated you then Sam Evans only dated you.

He had been cheated on before. It sucked. But he had simply ended things with Quinn and moved on. He couldn't understand why Marley still entertained the idea of Jake after that entire thing.

His thoughts then wandered to Quinn. He had thought he was heartbroken after she had cheated on him. He was so in love with her. At least that's what he thought. He had lost respect for her after that incident. He then wondered if Finn and Quinn would have ended up together if Finn hadn't passed away.

Sure, Finn and Rachel were supposed to be this wonderful glee couple that were going to make it until the end, but Sam didn't really think that was the case. He had always assumed that Finn and Quinn would end up together while Rachel found someone in New York that could fully commit to her.

Not to speak ill of the dead, but Finn wasn't really deserving of Rachel anyway, he thought. Of course the more he thought about it he couldn't think of a single person that deserved her. She had always been so nice to him without even having a reason to be nice. She had given him chapstick as a way of asking him to prom, which was awesome.

"Hello? Sam?" Sam snapped out of his thoughts and noticed that the entire club was staring at him. "Are you…okay?" Artie questioned from the other side of the room while Mr. Schuster glared at him.

"Sam, Nationals are only three months away. We can't afford to be blasé about things now," scolded.

"I'm really sorry, guys. I guess I just…zoned out." He looked around at the other glee clubbers and gave them an awkward smile. He pretended to not see the look Tina and Blaine were giving him and the small whispers they shared.

"That's okay. Just make sure it doesn't happen again," Mr. Schuester replied, this time with a small smile. Sam nodded before throwing himself into the rehearsal, 100%.

* * *

"I'm tired," Rachel groaned with her head resting against the wall. Santana raised an eyebrow at her dramatic roommate.

"Why? Don't hobbits have to get like eight hours of sleep?" Rachel turned around, snorted, and then walked over to the couch, plopping down as soon as she reached her destination.

"I was up last night. I had a…nightmare," she added, though it sounded like more of question than a statement." Santana slowly reached across the space between them and placed her hand gently on Rachel's arm.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rachel bit her lip. It wasn't like Santana had the best track record at keeping secrets, but the Latina was her roommate and she had been doing a great job of being a friend-especially in the aftermath of Finn.

"No, not really," she finally replied. Santana let out a breath, whether it was a sigh of relief or disappointment, Rachel didn't know.

"At some point you're going to have to talk to someone, Rachel. It isn't healthy, bottling these things up like this." Rachel jumped up from the couch and sighed.

"Santana, when I'm ready to talk to you, I will. Maybe I just want someone new to talk to. Someone who doesn't judge me or pity me. I can't stand that you and Kurt are constantly walking on eggshells around me." Santana rolled her eyes but had no remark. She was guilty of pitying Rachel. And PaleFace Hummel certainly was as well. "I'm going to my room to take a nap."

Before jumping into her bed she grabbed her laptop. She got under the blankets and opened Facebook. For months it had been an afternoon ritual to get on Finn's profile and simply look through it. She would look at old pictures of them together or sweet wall posts that were written to each other.

Before she was able to type in Finn's name her computer made a slight ding signaling a message.

**Sam Evans:** I'm so ready to graduate.

Rachel chuckled. She remembered, all too well, the feeling that came with knowing senior year was drawing to a close.

**Rachel Berry: **Why do you say that?  
**Sam Evans: **Glee sucks. I miss you. I'm just ready to go.  
**Sam Evans: **I mean that I miss you guys. Like Santana and kurt.  
**Rachel Berry: **Well, I'll give you Santana back. She's been pissing me off lately. Actually so has Kurt.  
**Sam Evans: **Blaine has been on mine. How bout you send Kurt here to be with Blaine and I'll move to NY in his place?  
**Rachel Berry:** Genius plan! Now-how do we execute it?  
**Sam Evans: **Hey.. you're the one who sent Sunshine to a crackhouse. I think you'll have no problems coming up with a plan lol.

Rachel smiled at his goofiness. He could make her smile without even trying, which had been a hard feat lately.

**Sam Evans: **I gotta go. :( I'll ttyl.  
**Rachel Berry: **Bye :(

She then logged out of Facebook and slid he laptop away. It didn't even occur to her that she hadn't visited Finn's page.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I hope you all are having a happy holiday season! I'm out of school for Christmas break so I had to make a four and a half hour drive Tuesday to get back to my hometown. Anyway, I present a new chapter to you! I'm glad so many people are liking the story. I didn't really have a lot of reviews for the last chapter, but that's alright. Even if just one person wants the story to continue I'll write it. :)**

**Enjoy! Any feedback is appreciated.**

* * *

Rachel Berry awoke to an overwhelming scent of bacon filling the air. She groaned at the intrusive smell before rolling over unto her stomach, face down into the pillow. It was then that she shot up and lunged for her phone.

It had finally happened.

For the first time in who knew how long, Rachel had slept through an entire night. She had no nightmares, no reoccurring dreams to haunt her. She had simply slept in peace. It was just short of a miracle, in her opinion. She had hated the way she felt after a morning of rough sleep.

She decided to get out of bed and celebrate her momentous achievement. She was genuinely happy for once. She almost felt bad that getting a night's rest was all that it took to make her happy, but her good spirits were none to be reckoned with.

"Want some of my fantastic breakfast?" Santana questioned once Rachel made her way into the living room. Santana was, for some ungodly reason, wearing an apron while cooking. The apron, however, was not the problem. It was the lack of clothing underneath.

"My God, Santana!" Rachel shrieked, covering her eyes with her hands while sitting down in a chair.

"What?" The Latina questioned before turning around to scramble the eggs she was cooking. "I'm hot. If I have roommates and they can't see me naked then how close are we really?" Rachel snorted before erupting into a full set of giggles. She missed the Latina turning around and smiling at her and instead saw Kurt entering the room.

"Oh my god, Santana," he cried before running back to his room. "I'm gay," he shouted, which only caused Rachel to laugh even harder.

Yep, Rachel thought, today was going to be a good day.

* * *

He was restringing his guitar for what was probably the third time in two months. It was a piece of crap, but he couldn't afford anything better. He slightly turned the tuning knob and nodded when he was satisfied with the low E that resonated in his room. He began to then strum lightly before putting the instrument down and heading over to his computer.

For the past week or so it had been somewhat of a ritual that he and Rachel Skyped at 7:30. He smiled upon noticing that the brunette was already online. He quickly tapped Rachel Berry's name and waited for her to answer.

"Well hello, Samuel," the cheery brunette greeted with a wave.

"Hi-ho," he cheekily replied. "What's up today, Miss Berry? Any progress on the Funny Girl front?" He waited with rapt attention as the brunette's face lit up. She then went into detail on how great rehearsal that day had been. She just knew that she was going to be a star and that it was all she had ever wanted in life.

"I only wish that I had someone here to share it all with," she added as an afterthought. He knew that she was probably referring to Finn. Lately she had seemed to be doing a lot better about coping with her loss. She mentioned Finn in passing without getting upset. She even compared him to Finn Hudson while giggling over a joke he had told.

"You've got Santana and Kurt though," he retorted with a smile. The brunette looked around her room and nodded.

"Yes, however, Kurt has Blaine. Santana has Dani. I need a friend that's not dating anyone." Sam coughed dramatically, puffed his chest out, and then smiled. "Is that a hint?" She questioned with a giggle.

"I'm just saying…" Sam drawled out. "I'm not dating anyone. I could be a full-time friend to Miss Rachel Berry." The brunette tilted her head back and laughed. Within five seconds the laughter turned into snorts. "This is so attractive…I'm like so turned on right now," Sam joked.

"Ooh," Rachel whispered, once the laughter had died down, "I knew that my brilliant voice would win you over," she winked seductively before, once again, letting out a burst of laughter.

"I'm glad you're happy, Rach," he replied with seriousness. "Hey," he interjected, "I'm singing a solo in glee tomorrow. Will you help me?" Rachel cocked her head in confusion. "I mean will you listen to it and tell me what needs to be worked on?"

"Of course, Sam! I would love to embrace my inner Simon Cowell." The blond rolled his eyes before picking up his guitar. He was nervous but unsure why. He sang in glee all of the time. He supposed it was the fact that he was going to be singing in front of a famous Broadway star. "Hello?" Rachel interrupted his inner monologue.

"Sorry, I'm just nervous," Sam replied honestly. Rachel looked shocked for one thing. "It's just that I'm going to be singing in front of a Broadway star. It's nerve-wracking." He noticed that the brunette was looking at him oddly but said nothing else.

After a pause she finally spoke, "you really think I'm going to be a Broadway star?" Sam was certain that the look on his face gave the answer but voiced his opinion anyway.

"Rach, I've known since the first day I joined glee and heard you sing that you were going to leave Lima behind and become this amazing singer. I've always supported you. Do you remember when you were going to marry Finn?"

"Yes," she replied flatly.

"I know that Quinn didn't support it, but I didn't either. We both knew that he was going to tie you down to Lima when you had so much more ahead of you." Rachel smiled, although it was a quick one. He was certain that he would have missed it if he hadn't been watching her face carefully.

"I didn't want to marry him," Rachel murmured. "I," she looked around her room again before meeting Sam's eyes again. "I blew my NYADA audition. I was afraid of having nothing. Finn was just a way for me to not feel alone."

"I had no idea," Sam replied. He could figure out how it went from there. She had been accepted into her dream school, Quinn had the wreck. Life intervened. "Do you think that so many things stopped the wedding because life knew that he wouldn't always be around for you?" He sincerely hoped that his question hadn't sounded as harsh as it did in his mind.

"I believe in fate. I believe in signs. I just do. I've often wondered that myself, and I choose to believe that we didn't get married then for a reason. I always thought he was my soul-mate though."

"Maybe," Sam replied with a grin. "But I think we can have more than one soul-mate," he added before strumming his guitar. "I know this is a girl song, but I love it. Try not to judge me too harshly." Rachel nodded, thankful for the shift in conversation.

Sam had been really great about that though. Any time that the conversation between them began to be too much to handle he changed topics immediately. Lately though, she had been able to open up more and more.

She watched as the blond began to strum his guitar. His voice was more beautiful than she had remembered it being in her dream. Lana del Rey's Young and Beautiful was then gently played through her speakers. She ignored the tugging that she felt in her stomach and simply watched him.

When he finished he simply looked up at Rachel with a cheeky grin and awaited her reply. "It was beautiful."

* * *

"Sam, can I talk to you?" He turned around to face the owner or the voice.

"Artie,what's up?" Sam questioned while looking down at his friend. The geeky boy pushed his glasses up to his nose and smiled.

"I've been recruiting some glee club members…" Artie paused as though he were trying to draw suspense. "Anyway, spring break is coming up and I figured some of us seniors could pull our money together and try to go somewhere slammin'." Sam rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"Well, that would be cool," Sam replied. "Where would you guys go?" Artie smiled before pulling a notebook out from his backpack and turned it quickly to a certain page.

"Well, right now it's tied between Florida and New York. Blaine wants to see Kurt, of course. Tina sided with Blaine. I, however, would love to soak up some sun in the south. I know you're originally from the south, so I figured I could count you in for a Florida vote." Sam pulled his letterman jacket tighter around him, shielding him from the chill of the hallway.

"I'm not from Florida though. I'm from Tennessee." Artie rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'll probably have to work over spring break," he added as an afterthought. He had been working at a local pizza place for what was probably the last two years. It had been a good source of income, too.

He pulled out his cell phone and glanced at the time. He roughly had about thirty minutes before glee started. He generally hit the weight room in the spare between school and glee; however, today he was making a phone call.

After the third or fourth ring the call was answered. "Hi, Sam," an out of breath, but excited, voice answered.

"Hey Rachel," he replied with a smile. "I just wanted some words of advice before my glee solo today." He listened with rapt attention at the small tips she had to offer. He even went as far as pulling out a pencil and a piece of paper to write things down. "Alright, I wrote it all down," he acknowledged after Rachel seemed to be finished.

"Did you really?" She questioned, in awe.

"Of course. You're the most talented person I know," he added with confidence. "The glee club wants to go to Florida for spring break," he added, although he wasn't sure why.

"That'll be fun," Rachel whispered. He was unsure where her mood change came from but he decided not to ask.

"I told Artie that I would probably have to work that week," he offered. "To be honest there isn't a single person in glee club that I would want to be stuck with on a beach for a week. Blaine is going to New York either way. I figured I would just live through him."

"I wish you didn't have to work," Rachel pouted. He could tell she was somewhat upset. It was obvious when Rachel Berry was upset with him. He had done enough things to piss her off in the few months that they had been communicating. "It would have worked out so well. You could have come with Blaine. Blaine would sleep in Kurt's room, obviously. You'd sleep in my bed. It works!" Sam coughed, slightly taken aback at the thought of sharing a bed with Rachel Berry. "I mean, you'd sleep in my bed, and I would sleep on the couch."

"Oh," he added, somewhat upset, though he didn't know what for. "Rachel, I have to go. Glee is about to start. I'll let you know how it goes."

"Best of luck, Samuel. Break a leg!" With that he hung up and made his way to the choir room. He noticed that everyone had already made it to rehearsal besides him. He really was slacking when it came to glee.

He noticed that today Marley was seated by Jake. He sighed. He was just a year or two older than they were and yet he couldn't understand why they would want to be in such relationships. He liked stability. When he had a girlfriend again it would be someone that he trusted with his heart. It would be someone that he could see himself settling down with.

Not this date one person today, date a new girl tomorrow.

His thoughts then went to Penny. They had still been casually seeing each other. Something was just holding him back from being with her though. He didn't know if it was God or some other thing that was keeping them apart.

Maybe it was like with Rachel marrying Finn. It didn't happen for a reason. Maybe Penny was his Finn.

"Sam, you going to sing?" Mr. Schuester questioned.

"Yeah," he quickly replied while finely tuning his guitar. "Rachel Berry helped me out a lot with this song over the past few days, so I hope it's worthy of her name," he finished. He noticed the rest of the classroom looking at him in confusion while Blaine, however, simply smiled. The dark haired boy pulled out his cell phone and gave Sam the thumbs up.

* * *

"Blaine told me that he sent you a text message and for you to watch the attachment," Kurt stated as he waltzed into her bedroom "I want to know what it is," he added.

"Don't be nosy," she reprimanded before reaching for her phone. She felt a blush spread across her cheeks as she read the text attached to the video from Blaine. It simply said, "he's a great guy, Rachel." She felt Kurt's prying eyes behind her. "Kurt Hummel, this is none of your business, now get out," she scolded. He scoffed before turning away and walking out.

She pressed play on the video and began to smile when Sam's playing began. She noted that he took her tips to heart and actually did them. She continued to watch as he strutted about the room, strumming his guitar slowly, and making complete eye contact with Blaine's phone. She briefly wondered if Sam knew that Blaine was recording it to send to her.

As soon as the last note rang out she clicked out of the video and began to call Mr. Evans himself. As the boy answered the phone she immediately shouted, "congratulations!" He chuckled for a moment before saying a quick 'thanks'

"I'm glad I have the Rachel Berry seal of approval," he replied cockily. Rachel scoffed while running her fingers through her hair.

"I didn't say it was that good," she replied with a grin. Despite the fact that Sam couldn't see her, he knew she was smiling. Rachel giggled while rolling over in her bed so that she could lie on her back. It was then that she noticed Santana and Kurt simply gawking at her from her door. "What are you guys doing?" She questioned.

"What?" Sam asked in confusion while Kurt and Santana simply looked at each other and then left.

"That was weird," Rachel said to no one in particular. She then returned to her phone call with Sam. "Kurt and Santana were simply standing in my doorway. I don't know what they were doing."

"Maybe they heard my singing and wanted to come praise it…you know…since I got the Rachel Berry seal of approval." Rachel rolled her eyes. "Hey, want to watch a movie?"

"Of course. When have I turned you down yet?" Sam chuckled. "I'll let you pick this time since the past three times I have picked the movie."

"I want to tell you something," Sam's voice showed a slight edge of nervousness from over the line. She wondered what could be bothering him so much that he felt uncomfortable around her.

"Go ahead," she urged.

"While I was singing in glee club earlier, I got really self-conscious. I don't really know why, but I just felt like the guy I was years ago who would beat himself up over eating a small bag of Cool Ranch Doritos." Rachel blanched at the idea of Sam ever having problems with his body. She had certainly never been aware of his body issues back in the day anyway. "It made me think about that time you wanted a nose job, and I've just been thinking about it all afternoon."

"Why, Sam? That was so long ago. I was just a stupid little girl," she replied with a laugh, hoping to ease whatever nerves Sam had.

"No, you weren't. You felt bad about your nose because it was different. And we made you think that different was a bad thing. I just…I wanted to tell you that I'm really glad you didn't go through with it. You're perfect just the way you are…"

"Sam-"

"No, I'm being serious…and I don't know if the people in New York say mean things to you or if they're actually smart enough to see that you're awesome, but just know that you never need to change..For anyone."

She was completely speechless. How could she have anything to say that? The blond sensed that Rachel had nothing to say to him so he quickly changed the subject. "You still want to watch a movie?"

"Sam, I want you to come here for spring break," she quickly responded. "Take off work. I'll ask my daddies to pay the expense if I have to, but I need to spend time with you. Facebook messaging, talking on the phone is great. Skype is even wonderful, but I want to be able to feel you. Come to New York for spring break."

"Anything you want, Rachel," he replied without even thinking about it.

* * *

**Also, I've had a lot of Finchel readers read this, and I'm really glad that you guys are liking this story. I loved Finn and Rachel, but I think that Sam would be good for Rachel while she was coping with the loss of Finn. So thank you, Finchel shippers, for going into this with an open mind.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! So terribly sorry that it has taken me so long! I have not had access to any internet; however, I have a couple of chapters done already so I can update again at any time. I am also considering posting a Samchel/Evanberry story that I wrote several years ago and then just completely forgot about-so be on the look out for that.**

**Somebody mentioned to me that I had completely left out that Sam had been in a relationship with Mercedes, and to be honest, I completely forgot. I haven't been watching Glee as faithfully as I used to. The storyline completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry about that. There will be a lot of things that I leave out that were on the show-I hope it does not offend anyone.**

**Please leave some reviews. I love them. :)**

* * *

"You're taking your guitar?" Blaine questioned while looking at him quizzically.

"Uh…yeah?" Sam questioned, unsure of why Blaine was giving him probably one of the weirdest looks he has ever seen on the boy.

"I don't know. No reason, I guess. I just didn't know that you planned on singing any." Sam began to laugh. Pointedly so he hoped that Blaine sensed that Sam was giving him a hard time.

"Even if I don't want to sing are you saying that you'll be able to keep from breaking out in random songs?" Blaine blushed slightly, knowing that Sam was right. He just couldn't help himself sometimes.

"Well, I didn't think about it that way," Blaine replied. "But you can't tell me that you brought your guitar for my sake. You plan on singing." Sam simply shrugged his shoulders before continuing on his path. "You plan on singing to Rachel," Blaine shouted from his locker. He smirked as soon as he saw Sam turning around with an unreadable expression on his face.

"What if I do?" Sam shouted back before turning around and continuing on his way down the hall. Blaine grinned, excited about the new development of things. He had a small hunch that his best friend was crushing on Kurt's roommate, but he wasn't certain just yet.

He was going to observe them over the next week and make up his mind one way or another.

* * *

The entire duration of the train ride Sam was nervous. It was a long ass train ride, he thought to himself; however, he deemed it worth it since he was going to be spending time in New York City for a week. How awesome was that? He looked at Blaine who was sleeping beside him, unaware that they were a singular hour away from their stop. He pulled out his phone and checked the time, groaning upon seeing how early in the morning it was.

He wasn't sure why he was even awake yet. He shot a text to Rachel to let her know that he was finally on the outskirts of the city. Blaine had told him that Rachel wouldn't be meeting them at the station because she never skipped her classes. He had been a little upset but completely understood that she valued her education.

He didn't exactly care so much about obtaining good grades, or even being in class for that matter, but he respected that Rachel put school pretty high on her priorities, underneath her Broadway dreams.

"Blaine," Sam whispered while nudging the dark haired boy's shoulder. "Wake up," he exclaimed once Blaine started to stir.

"What is it, Sam?" He slurred, tiredness evident in his voice. "Is something wrong?"

"No, we're just almost there. Don't you want to look alive for Kurt?" At the mention of his fiancé the boy perked up. He began to brush his fingers through his non-gelled hair and smiled. Sam sighed. He wanted to find someone that he could call home. He wanted to find his soul-mate. It wasn't fair that Blaine found his at such a young age, but he was still searching for his.

"Sam, where did you just go?" Sam looked out of the train window and let out a deep breath.

"I want to be in love…like you are with Kurt. I want to be with someone that makes me happy. I want to be with someone who thinks I'm awesome on days that I eat hamburgers and potato chips. I want to be with someone who can just sit in a room with me and sing songs together for hours. I want someone who won't make fun of my dreams despite the fact that they are stupid. I just want some support."

"Aren't you still dating Penny though?" Blaine questioned.

"Forget about Penny, Blaine," Sam shouted, before lowering his voice. "She's not right. We don't fit. I can't even hold a five minute conversation with her. There's no way she's the right girl for me." Blaine chuckled, though Sam didn't know why. His distress wasn't funny.

"Do you remember the day we first got on the train?" Sam nodded. "Well, while we had been at McKinley earlier that day you told me you were taking your guitar so you and Rachel could sing songs, which is lovely, I might add. It just…it kind of sounds like you're describing the relationship you have with her to me." Blaine waited a few minutes, watching the various expressions cross Sam's face.

"I mean…I've thought about…her." Sam wiped his hair from his face. "I like her. I think probably more than a friend should like another friend, but dude, her boyfriend just died…"

"It's been eight months, Sam," Blaine interrupted. "Kurt said she's doing so much better now. We all, Santana included, think it is because of you."

"Well, just because she is alright doesn't mean that she wants a boyfriend, and on top of that who said she would even be interested in me?" Sam snapped. He knew he was being kind of harsh, but he didn't want to talk to Blaine about Rachel anymore. He pulled his iPod out of his backpack and put the headphones in his ear.

* * *

He almost thought that the air in New York City was different than that of Lima. He felt like he could finally breathe fresh air. Lima made him feel stuck and suffocated. New York? Well, he didn't know what the difference was, but he finally felt at ease with himself.

He sat with Blaine in the middle of Central Park, luggage scattered around them. Kurt was late to meet them. He wasn't entirely sure why they had to meet Kurt anyway. He and Blaine had found their way to Kurt, Rachel, and Santana's apartment one other time. He guessed that Kurt was just excited to see his boyfriend.

"Did you hear that?" Sam questioned while looking at Blaine. He had been certain that he heard his name being called out. "There!" He shouted upon hearing it again. "Did you hear it?" He watched as Blaine continued to look around in excitement.

"Maybe Kurt is here," Blaine added.

"Sam Evans!" The angelic voice called out. He zeroed in on the owner and immediately jumped to his feet. He watched as a short brunette ran after him. He instantly left Blaine behind and ran to her. Why wouldn't he? Two objects in motion would reach each other faster or something, he thought briefly.

Rachel Berry. He hadn't seen her since his trip to New York last semester. She was just as beautiful, if not more so. She jumped into his embrace and rested her head lightly on his chest. He inhaled and instantly thought that the scent of Rachel Berry was easily his favorite smell. Her fingers wrapped around the material of his plaid shirt as though to ensure that he didn't leave.

"What are you doing here?" A voice interrupted. He expected Blaine but instead pulled away (slightly, he didn't want to let go of her just yet) and looked at a confused Kurt Hummel.

"I had to get Sam," she replied as though it were the logical answer. "I'm only missing a voice lesson," she added. Sam watched as Kurt gave Blaine, who had apparently made his way over, a look.

"_Only _a voice lesson?" Kurt shrieked. Rachel ignored her dramatic roommate and then gave Sam another embrace. He closed his eyes and sighed. He could get used to Rachel Berry's hugs. "Well, I didn't plan on you being here," he added angrily. "I intended on dropping Mr. Evans off at the apartment and letting Santana babysit him until you got done with classes; however, since you have just decided to skip school, for the first time ever, I might add, then you can show Sam around the city."

"Jeez, relax," Sam quickly snapped. "Missing one day of school isn't going to kill her. I skip, like, a lot." Kurt scoffed and pulled Blaine away by his tie. "He's on his period," Sam deadpanned.

"He's been a little uptight this week. He just gets so nervous when Blaine is coming in," Rachel responded before looking at Sam. "We need to go back to your suitcase before it gets stolen." Sam's eyes widened as he looked back at where his duffel bag and guitar case were laying. He instantly let go of Rachel and ran after his belongings. It was only an added bonus that Rachel began to laugh hysterically.

He sheepishly made his way back over to the brunette, bags in tow, and shrugged his shoulders. "So, did it live up to your expectations?" She questioned while looking down at her feet.

"What's that?" Sam questioned. He waited for several seconds before noting that Rachel had no intentions of continuing her conversation. "Did what live up to my expectation, Rach?" She sighed before motioning for Sam to follow her. They began to walk at a leisurely pace. He had no idea where they were going so he only hoped that Rachel was familiar with the area.

"We've almost been like pen-pals for these past few months, really," Rachel explained. "I wondered if seeing me in person after how much we've been talking lately lived up to your expectations." Sam grabbed the brunette with his free hand and turned her around.

"Rach, I've wanted nothing more than to see you since that day you answered Blaine's Skype call. This is perfect. You're my best friend." He watched Rachel's features soften and he sighed with relief. "I can't believe you skipped school for me," he added to relieve the tension. Rachel rolled her eyes before continuing on their way.

"You've become somewhat of a best friend to me. I didn't want you to come to New York for me and have Kurt be the first person you spent time with. I love the boy, I do, but I wanted to see you first." Sam smiled. After coming to the conclusion that he did in fact like Rachel Berry it made him happy to know that she wanted to see him first.

Sure, she only thought of him as a best friend. She probably would never think of him any other way but he could do best friend. He could be a great friend!

* * *

"I'm so tired. Can we please just cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie?" Sam whined. He used his gigantic lips in his favor and pouted. He knew that Rachel would be a goner. And she was. She rolled her eyes and pulled out The Nightmare Before Christmas (it was his go-to movie, sue him). "Yes," he shouted in excitement.

"You're ridiculous," Rachel retorted while putting the DVD in. She waltzed over to the couch and plopped down beside the blond. She watched, out of the corner of her eye, as he pulled a hairband off of his wrist and began to brush his hair back. "Let me do that for you," Rachel whispered before taking the ponytail holder out of his hand and getting up. She took a few steps so that she was standing behind the couch and began to lightly brush his hair back in her direction. "I just adore your hair, Samuel," she whispered.

He moaned as her fingers brushed over his scalp gently. He couldn't help it. She continued to massage his head lightly before finally putting his hair into a ponytail. Sam grabbed the remote and pushed play while Rachel made her way back around to her seat. "Thank you," he grunted, in an attempt to stay awake. "That's my weakness, Rachel Berry," he added before resting his head on her shoulder.

She knew he was going to fall asleep at any given moment. She was tired the first time she made the trip from Lima to New York City by train too. "Why don't you just lie down, Sam?"

"I don't want you to go," he mumbled, already half asleep. She rolled her eyes, although Sam couldn't see it. She gently pulled at his shoulder. He complied and soon found his head resting in her lap while his legs were stretched out on the couch. She heard him whisper, "so comfy," before nuzzling her stomach and finally succumbing to sleep.

She traced her fingers over his face lightly and sighed. His skin was so soft. She thought about Finn and how it didn't really matter what time of the day it was, he always had stubble. She didn't necessarily like his stubble more than Sam's smooth skin. They were just different. If she really thought about it Sam and Finn were a lot alike. They were both just loveable goofballs that did whatever it took to make her smile; however, the similarities really ended there. Sam was a nerd who just happened to look like a jock. He had an ungodly amount of comic books and superhero movies. He played football, but if he had it his way he would run an after-school Avatar club.

Finn was an athlete. He loved football. He loved basketball. He lived for the Friday night lights, and she loved going to the football games to cheer him on. He loved glee club. She just knew that he was going to go back to college to become a teacher and then take over for Mr. Schuester. He really was a golden boy.

Sam had helped her make peace with the loss of Finn, and she was thankful for that. She would always love Finn. She knew that, and Finn, wherever he was, knew that too. She knew that he would also approve of her friendship with Mr. Evans. She looked down at the resting blond and smiled at how peaceful he looked in her lap. She didn't think she had ever had a best friend as great as Sam.

Soon her thoughts were broken as she heard the slide of the apartment door. She turned around to shush the person or persons that entered. She sighed when it was Santana. "Be quiet, alright?" Rachel whispered. Santana nodded, unsure why, and then walked over to the chair seated next to the couch. Her eyes widened when she saw the sleeping blond in Rachel's lap.

"Well, this was unexpected," Santana snarked playfully. "I expected Ken Doll to be out with Frodo and Lady Hummel. Although with that hair he could easily be confused with Barbie herself."

"Santana, shut up," Rachel whisper-shouted. The Latina arched an eyebrow, impressed with Rachel's newfound backbone.

"Ooh," Santana squealed in excitement upon finding Sam's cell phone on the table in front of her. She reached over and grabbed it, ignoring Rachel's heated whispers. "Let's see what Sammy gets himself into," she stated to no one particular.

"Santana! Santana! Put his phone down," Rachel snapped.

"No! I want to see what he's been doing while you're not around," she replied.

"First of all, I'm never around him so I'm unsure as to why that matters. Second, he can do whatever he wants. He's a nice-looking man."

"This is lame," Santana responded dryly. "All of his pictures are of action figures…or you." Rachel felt her cheeks heat up at the admission but said nothing. "Time for text messages."

"Santana," Rachel reprimanded, "that's a violation of privacy."

"Since when have I cared about privacy?"

"I want no part of this. I really don't understand why you haven't been thrown in jail yet." Rachel looked down at Sam to make sure that he was still asleep and none the wiser to the Latina's actions. After several seconds Santana put the phone back down on the table and looked at Rachel.

"Who is Penny?"

"Penny?" Rachel questioned, wondering why the name sounded so familiar. Her memory ran back to one of the first conversations they had ever had. Sam had mentioned having to go meet Penny, but he had never said anything about her since then. "I'm not sure. Sam has mentioned her in passing."

"She's kind of the girl that I'm dating," Sam stated. Rachel instantly felt guilty. She wondered if Sam would be mad at her. Then again she felt hurt that Sam was dating someone. She didn't know why it stung the way that it did, but she told herself it was because she was his best friend and best friends shared that kind of information.

Sam lifted himself up from the position he had been in and sat on the couch while looking at Santana, almost as though he were ignoring Rachel completely. "She works at McKinley."

"Oh my God, Evans!" Santana shrieked. "That's illegal!"

"She isn't a teacher," Sam replied, although at this point he didn't care. "It doesn't matter though. I don't…I don't like her. You saw the text messages, didn't you?" Santana looked away sheepishly.

"I did. And I approve, Sam," she softly responded. "I'm going to meet Dani, guys. You two have fun." With that the Latina made herself scarce.

"Sam, why wouldn't you tell me that you were dating someone? That's…that's so hurtful. I don't even know what to say to you right now."

"Rachel, you just have to believe me when I say I'm not even remotely interested in her anymore. It was before you came along! I broke up with her right before I came here to see you." The thought that Sam was single made her feel better, although she was unsure why exactly.

"Why did you break up with her?" Rachel questioned. "Are you okay?" Sam smiled before taking her hands in his.

"I'm perfect, Rach."


	5. Chapter 5

**Another update for the awesome followers of this story. Hope it doesn't let you all down. :)**

* * *

"You smell…like so good. So good, Rachel Berry," Sam shouted over the loud music. Santana had talked the gang into heading to a gay bar since the majority of the group was gay. Rachel giggled as Sam began to dance wildly around her. Kurt had treated them all to drinks somehow and it seemed that the blond was a lightweight.

"Thank you," she slurred in response, watching as he danced around her in circles. Santana had run off with Dani despite the fact that the entire get-together was her idea.

"Mind if I cut in," a deep voice interrupted. Rachel backed away from Sam to see that an attractive male was trying to steal her dance partner. Sam looked confused and unsure of how to handle the situation.

"Oh, I mean, I'm not gay…but I guess it's cool?" He questioned while shooting a confused look at Rachel. The brunette clapped her hands wildly as she tilted her head back in laughter.

"Go get 'em, White Chocolate," she shouted towards Sam's back.

In amongst her giggles a blonde girl walked into her view. "Hello," Rachel politely acknowledged all while glancing at Sam. She never in a million years imagined that Samuel Evans would be dancing with another guy. For some reason it just really made her laugh. Hysterically so. "Can I get you a drink?" It was then that Rachel took her eyes off of Sam and looked at the girl before her.

"Oh, I'm not interested," Rachel replied nonchalantly. The blonde looked somewhat offended but nodded in understanding. "No, it isn't you," Rachel explained. "I'm simply not into women in that way. I can admire a girl. Maybe someday I'll even be attracted to one, but in this stage of my life I am not."

"That your boyfriend?" The blonde questioned while pointing to Sam. Rachel immediately smiled upon looking at the goofy boy who was finally making his way back over. Rachel shook her head. "Oh, sorry," the blonde retorted.

"He's my friend. His name is Sam. Speaking of, who are you?"

"My name is Katie," she replied as Sam finally joined their group. "Hello, Sam," Katie stated while looking at him. Sam, for a moment, looked confused until he realized that Rachel must have told this girl about him. A part of him felt somewhat excited about the fact that Rachel felt the need to talk about him.

"Hello-"

"Katie."

"Hello, Katie," Sam shouted while shaking the girl's hand. "It was nice to meet you; however, I think I'm going to head outside. I'm feeling the drinks now." Katie laughed and left Sam to Rachel, who was quickly following Sam outside to the chilly streets of New York.

"Rachel, I just want to tell you that I really love you, okay?" Sam whispered before pulling the brunette into what she could only describe as the greatest hug she had ever taken part in. "You're the greatest friend ever!"

"Someone is a little tipsy, aren't we?" Rachel mumbled into the blond's chest. She pulled away but made the effort to grab his hand. "Let's take a cab home. I'll shoot Kurt and Santana a text explaining that we needed some air."

As soon as the text messages were sent Rachel stepped out into the New York City traffic and hailed a cab as though she had been doing it her entire life. Sam watched in awe at the way Rachel moved. Everything was so fluid. In high school she had always been so gawky and awkward, but New York really suited her.

Once they were in the safety of the backseat of a cab Sam gently rested his head against her shoulder. He cocked his head towards the right and pressed a slobbery kiss to the skin of her neck.

She wasn't sure why but she immediately turned stiff. It had been a harmless kiss and yet it immediately brought back thoughts of Finn. She felt, again, as though she was replacing him with Sam. She knew that Finn's memory didn't deserve to be tarnished by her hormones, but a small part of her had to admit that Sam's lips on her neck felt nice.

She felt the stinging in her eyes, a tell-all sign that tears were forming. She had been doing so well with the loss of Finn and now she had completely regressed. More than that she felt completely guilty. Sam was an amazing guy, but she knew that he had a life in Lima. Not only was she still mourning the loss of Finn, but there was no way that Sam Evans would actually be interested in her.

As the cab finally made its way to the apartment Rachel threw her money at the driver and pulled a drunken Sam out before leading him up the stairs to the flat.

* * *

"I'm sorry about earlier," Sam whispered into the back of her neck while running his fingers over her bare arm. She was freaking out a little bit because she had a half-naked man in her bed, but that man was Sam-and he was her best friend. She had fallen apart once they had made their way into the loft and Sam had almost instantly sobered up.

He held her while she cried despite the fact that he had no idea what she was crying over. He could hear her mention Finn's name occasionally but decided not to press her about it. He knew she would talk when she was ready.

He had offered her a cuddle session, which she somehow accepted. He expected her to want to cuddle on the couch while watching a movie, but she had lead him to her bed. While they were lying in an intimate position he couldn't help but feel upset over the fact that he wanted to hold her as more than a friend-maybe someday as a boyfriend. But he knew that Rachel Berry only wanted friendship from him.

Which totally blew.

"It's okay," Rachel whispered into the darkness of the night. "Sometimes I'm okay. Other days I feel like I've just heard the news from Carole." Sam nodded into her shoulder before wrapping his arms around her waist tighter.

"We'll always have an emptiness in our hearts from losing him, Rachel. But Finn would want you to be happy. I know it. He was a cool guy like that." Rachel choked up at the sincerity of Sam's words and cried helplessly as he sang softly into her ear.

* * *

She was standing in a room that she didn't recognize. That was the first thing she noticed.

"Hey, Rach."

She paused. She knew that voice. She would always know it. She turned around and squealed upon seeing her lanky love. Her Finn. "Finn!" She shouted before running into his arms and hugging him. "I knew it wasn't true. This whole thing –it's been a dream."

"Rach," Finn sighed before setting Rachel down and then plopping on the floor. "I'm with you-right here," he whispered before placing his hand over the right side of her chest. Rachel brushed a stray tear away before picking his hand up and moving it to the left side of her chest.

"My heart is here," she whispered back through a sob.

"I'm still not good with the whole left and right thing yet," he sheepishly admitted. "I love you, Rachel Berry, and I'm proud of you. You're making your dreams come true."

"But you're not here," she interrupted. Finn rested his forehead against hers and paused for a moment.

"I'll always be with you, Rach. But you'll make new dreams, with someone else. And that's okay. Just-listen to your heart, okay? Because that's where I'll always be-helping you out." The brunette continued to sob as he pressed a single kiss to her lips. "I love you, Rachel Berry. I always will. But you've got to let me go so I can do my job."

"What job?" She mumbled in between sobs.

"I'm your guardian angel. Duh," he responded with a grin.

* * *

She opened her eyes and simply processed the dream that she had just had. It felt so real. She could still taste Finn's mouth and smell his shampoo. As she began to process everything that happened she looked over to find that Sam was still holding her close as though he were protecting her from something.

She leaned over slightly and pressed a kiss to his temple.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! I hope that the new year has been nice to all of you! I want to thank you all for reading and reviewing. I know that this ship isn't exactly one that a lot of people like, but I'm glad that you guys are actually enjoying the idea of Sam and Rachel together. This chapter is short, and I'm sorry. Saturday or Sunday I'm going back to school though so I wanted to have something for you guys before I had to go through all of that crap.**

**Anyway, enjoy. Any typos or mistakes are mine.**

* * *

Sam groaned as he fought to open his eyes. His mouth was completely dry. He had a headache and for an unknown reason his left arm was numb. He smacked his lips together in an effort to create some kind of moisture but ended up feeling more chapped and dry than he had been before. He finally peeled his eyes open and took in his surroundings.

He wasn't wearing a shirt. He did, however, know that he was wearing boxers. He obviously had been coherent when he fell asleep; he was simply unsure of what had transpired the night before. He turned his head to the side and gulped loudly upon seeing a tiny brunette beside him.

He found the culprit for his left arm numbness. He could feel a slight patch of wetness on his peck and made a face upon realizing that Rachel's drool had been collecting on his chest. As weird as it was he simply didn't have the heart to move her. She looked so at ease.

The blond wasn't the best with words but he knew that Rachel looked like a totally different person while she was asleep. There were no frowns or tears. There were no lines of sadness. She simply looked young and full of life. "What ah you lookin' at?" A very thick, New York laced accent, slurred. He cocked an eyebrow before biting his lip.

"Just you. You from the Bronx now?" He teased. Rachel swatted at him playfully before closing her eyes again. "Nope. You're awake," he rasped. He really needed some water or something because he was feeling like a chain smoker. "I'm awake. We have to do something." Rachel groaned before sitting up. She wiped the corner of her mouth with the long-sleeve t-shirt she had slept in and shrugged her shoulders at Sam.

"I drooled a little," she confessed sheepishly. The blond boy rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to tell her that he definitely already knew that-partially to save her from embarrassment and kind of to keep from admitting that he had been looking at her while she was asleep.

"We all do it," he offered meekly. The corners of her lips turned up at his response. "Now, I have to get some water." He groaned while sitting up in the bed. Rachel grabbed his hand as he made a move to go to the kitchen. He stood for a moment, not wanting to startle Rachel and cause her to release the hold she had on him.

"I'll go with you," she proclaimed before following him. Sam smiled as they made their way to the kitchen.

He wondered if Rachel even realized that she held his hand from the entire time.

* * *

Rachel had insisted that they spend the day together simply being in New York. They had left early and done touristy things. She even took him to a comic book store that blew any store in Lima out of the water. They ate authentic New York hot dogs from a vendor for lunch. Well, his was authentic anyway. Rachel had some sort of vegetarian option.

They talked about school and how ready Sam was to graduate. They talked about _Funny Girl _and NYADA. They even talked about all of her ex-boyfriends.

Sam was almost certain that Rachel had been dropping several hints throughout the day about wanting him to move there after he graduated-if he still wanted to do that…which he did. At least he really thought that he wanted that. Of course Sam knew that nothing was set in stone so he simply smiled anytime Rachel would mention his future.

"Are you going to come to Nationals?" Sam questioned while looking out at the Brooklyn Bridge. Rachel batted her eyelashes before shrugging her shoulders. "Well, Mr. Schuester hasn't said where they're going to be-but you better show up if they're in New York again." She swapped his bicep lightly before resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'll see what I can do," she whispered into the air. Sam wanted to wrap his arm around the girl but felt like that might be pushing things. "Tell me about your new girlfriend," she finally added. Sam couldn't help but notice the sadness in her voice. Well, what he thought was sadness anyway, he wasn't sure.

"She isn't my girlfriend. I told you and Santana that." Rachel simply nodded into his arm. "She was the school nurse. I thought that I was just so drawn to her. I don't know what happened. It's like-one minute I was all about it and the next I just wanted something else."

"Something else?" She questioned before pulling away from him to look out at the river in front of them.

"Yeah, or someone, I don't know," he admitted sheepishly before running his fingers through his hair. "I might need a haircut sometime soon," he added with a chuckle.

"It certainly has grown a lot since the last time I saw you," she replied. "I think you can pull it off though." He licked his lips and smiled. "However, that doesn't mean we are changing the subject. We've become, in my opinion, very close. I would even call you my best friend. You've been so kind and supportive of me since…Finn…and I just can't imagine my life without you." Sam tugged at the collar of his shirt and waited for her to continue. "With that being said, I'm deeply hurt that you never, not once, told me about Penny."

"Rach, I didn't tell you about her because by the time that you and I became friends she didn't mean anything to me," he explained defensively. He could tell judging by the reaction Rachel gave him that he had said the wrong thing.

"I thought you were a good man, Sam," she whispered before putting a bit of distance between them on the bench.

"What? I am a good guy," Sam exclaimed, "or at least I thought I was. What did I do?"

"You've led that poor girl on for how many months now? How could you be so heartless? That's…I…just today told you about Jesse and how much he hurt me simply because he "played me." The fact that you did it to someone? That just makes me question who you are."

"Who I am?" He shouted before looking across the river. The sun was beginning to set and the world was taking on a beautiful glow. It seemed wrong that they were arguing when the view before them was so breathtaking. "I am the guy that has been here for you for months on end, Rachel. I've answered your every call-every text. I've stayed up all night when you had bad dreams or thoughts about Finn. I rode on a damn train for three days to see you! If that doesn't tell you anything about 'who I am' then maybe _I _don't know who _you _are."

With that Rachel turned away and inhaled deeply. "It's been such a good day, Sam," Rachel stated while looking at the view. "Let's not ruin it now…please." He didn't want to just drop it but the sadness in her chocolate eyes and the despair in her voice was enough for him to let it go.

"Alright," he mumbled. He was mad. What bothered him the most though was that the single argument they had just endured had been their first real fight. He was upset and hurt. He didn't want to fight with Rachel. And yet, the duration of their argument, all he could think about were the way her lips moved while she berated him. The way that her face flushed in anger only added to her beauty, out under the New York skyline. "Rachel," he mumbled weakly before looking at the brunette. He instantly wrapped the girl up in his arms upon seeing that she had been crying. "Don't cry," he whispered, while running his fingers through her hair soothingly.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I got so upset over that," she admitted into his embrace. She pulled away with a watery smile before wiping the errant tears away.

Sam vaguely wondered if his jaw had dropped open. There before him was soon-to-be Broadway star Rachel Berry with make-up running down her face and bloodshot eyes. She almost looked like the girl that he had seen the night before after their night at the club, but this Rachel was different. The fading sunlight provided a glow to the brunette that made his stomach churn as a new revelation had been made. He really was in love with Rachel Berry. And it was that moment that made him realize it.

Without any rational thought he leaned forward until his face was mere centimeters apart from hers. He could feel her breath on his lips, warm and inviting. He slowly brought his hands to her face and brushed the running eye make-up away with the pads of his thumbs. "Did you know that you're the most beautiful person that I've ever met?" He whispered with as much sincerity as he could muster. He looked into her eyes to see what kind of reaction he would receive. He smiled as her brown eyes fluttered shut. Slowly, he closed the gap and pressed his lips gently onto the pint-size diva's.

He couldn't believe that he was kissing Rachel Berry. More than that, he couldn't believe how amazing the kiss was. He had made out with several girls on multiple occasions and never had a simple kiss felt like this. Her lips were the softest that he had ever had the pleasure of tasting. The taste was strangely that of just Rachel. There was the softest hint of coffee and vanilla which blended into a swirl of heaven on his lips.

He was truly in shock that Rachel wasn't pushing him away. With that final ounce of encouragement he gently placed his hands upon her jaw and traced patterns onto her skin. He wasn't going to push Rachel. It was the simplest of kisses. He wasn't going to ruin it by shoving his tongue inside of her mouth when it seemed like their slow pace was what Rachel needed.

Shock ripped through his body as the brunette pulled him into the kiss further, softly using her tongue to trace his bottom lip as though she were the one asking if it was okay to move things further. He immediately complied.

Yeah. He had totally died and gone to heaven.

The moment that his tongue met Rachel's he was pretty sure that God had been looking out for him that day. The kiss was slow and languid. The kiss was everything.

Rachel pulled away and simply stared at him, eyes wide. He wondered if he had pushed her too far.

"We'd better go," was the only thing that the brunette muttered before standing up and straightening the wrinkles out of her clothes.


End file.
